Rail link team considers adding three more stations

By Jacob Saulwick

August 22, 2011 — 12.00am

THE north-west rail link could be opened with eight stations instead of the proposed six.

The team in charge has raised plans with local businesses and council that include building a second station at Norwest and another station beyond Rouse Hill, but scrapping a proposed station at Burns Road, Kellyville.

North-west rail link ... the project team says any changes to the draft plan would not come an any extra cost.Credit:Simon Alekna

The Burns Road station would be replaced by a station further north at Samantha Riley Drive.

Mike Thomas, the mayor of Hills Shire, said a second station at Norwest, closer to the area's big employment complex, was the most needed addition to the line.

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The current plan is to locate a station near the Norwest Marketown shopping centre almost two kilometres away from the main business park.

''What you would be doing would be catering to the employees in that zone,'' he said.

It is understood the rail link project team has said any changes to the draft project plan, first released in May, would need to be at no extra cost.

The May plan only said there was a possibility of building stations at Samantha Riley Drive and at Cudgegong Road, beyond Rouse Hill.

However, these stations are now more likely to be built when the line is opened.

Cr Thomas said he could accept if a Burns Road Station was replaced with a Samantha Riley Drive station.

''Subject to a proper study, if it showed the availability of parking would be OK, I think I would be happy with that,'' he said.

The government has committed to releasing the final route and cost by the end of the year.